31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

As disciples, we are family

Ancient Culture

In ancient culture family was everything

Jesus wanted people to know that the people of God are to be important, priority in our lives

God was creating a new people, a family, centred around Jesus; brothers and sisters in Christ

As disciples, we enter into the family of God

God has expectations on how we treat one another that is different than the world

Requires we think differently

Some never grasp the concept of one another Christianity

Together for church, but togetherness is not a lifestyle

Why?

See Christianity as a solo endeavour

No commitment, loyalty, other priorities

Think not a big deal to be on their own

Grasp, but an unhealthy view, unrealistic expectations based on how raised

As a church we are joined together, put together, built together, heirs together, held together

not created for isolation, but fellowship (connection)

Accept One Another

Romans 15:7 – Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Jesus Accepted Us

Jesus did say “get your act together and I will love and accept you”

He loves and accepts us just as we are

How did Christ Accept us?

We are all broken people, yet he did not hold it against us; Desire a Relationship

Some times we have a hard time accepting ourselves; feel guilty, beat ourselves up

Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

Different people

colour, culture, family, life stage, gender,

God made each of us unique

Different personalities

extrovert, introvert, ambivert

We don’t think alike, look alike, sound alike’

We don’t process things the same way

We all have a different sense of humour; some more different than others!

We don’t have the same interests, hobbies, perspectives, dreams, strengths and weaknesses

Different values regarding traditions

Christmas (Santa), halloween, easter (bunny)

Different political beliefs (parties)

Different views on what fun is

Different TV shows & Music (appropriate)

Different opinions on (right/wrong)

No 2 people the same, just like No 2 snowflakes

Human tendency is to find something about another person we don’t like, different and criticize or look down on

13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another (NIV)

Therefore, let us no longer criticize one another. Holman

To accept without condemnation (1)

Not treat with contempt (3)

Stop passing judgement over each other (13)

We must put to death any hint of judgemental attitude that hides in our hearts

Learn to accept others, embrace them, welcome others

Result:To bring praise to God (14:7)

2. Encourage One Another

1 Thess. 5:11

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Christianity is a long journey; joys, trials, temptations, tests, missteps

Not a solo endeavour

Need people to provide encouragement and build us up as the world, Satan tries to tear us down

WE ALL NEED ENCOURAGEMENT

A. Encouragement that Builds us UP

How does encouragement make us feel?

lifts out of a rut, inspires, empowers, offers different perspective, keeps us going

We all need encouragement

undervalue, over assumed

withhold it; not give a big head, not value, critical nature

Upbringing (Parents parenting style)

“For every critical comment we receive, it takes nine affirming comments to even out the negative effect in your life” – Jim Burns

Home:

Should not be an Environment where people feel always in trouble

Imagine a home where Kids feel they are always in trouble. Not want to come home!

Church should not be such a place

“We need to be people who are good at catching people at what they do right, instead of what doing wrong”

16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Encourage about the second coming; live with Jesus in mind and what will come

12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

What can happen? Can develop a:

Sinful

Unbelieving heart

Turns away from God

Without it stop growing, get stuck, depleted

Underestimate the power of sin

Fail to realize the power of discouragement and its ability to eat away at our faith and conviction

Relationships are there to prevent decline, sharpen us and keep focused

We all need a few relationships that go to a deeper level than our other relationships;

Relationships that really know us personally, know what we need, when we need it